The 'brain-boosting' diet that improves memory by changing gut bacteria

Adopting the Mediterranean diet could come with a whole host of health benefits, including a brain-boosting effect which new research suggests is caused by changing the balance of gut bacteria.

A new study, conducted by researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine, suggests the Mediterranean diet improves memory and cognitive performance and might reduce the risk of dementia.

The study's researchers suggest eating a Mediterranean diet could boost academic and work performance in teens and young adults, respectively.

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The results, published in the journal Gut Microbes Reports, found that eating a Mediterranean diet led to different gut bacteria to those eating a typical Western diet. These bacterial differences were associated with better memory and cognitive performance.

Researchers studied rats that were fed either a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil, fish and fibre, or a Western diet high in saturated fats, over a period of 14 weeks. They assessed their cognitive performance using maze challenges testing memory and learning.

In the rats eating the Mediterranean diet, levels of beneficial gut bacteria increased, while harmful levels decreased. This resulted in better performance in cognitive tasks.

"We've known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening," said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, PhD, neurology research instructor at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center.

“Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome."

The study’s corresponding author Dr Demetrius M. Maraganore, Jr. Chair of Neurosciences, said: “Our findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet or its biological effects could be harnessed to improve scholastic performance in adolescents, or work performance in young adults.

“While these findings are based on animal models, they echo human studies linking the Mediterranean diet to improved memory and reduced dementia risk,” Dr Maraganore added.

The researchers have emphasised that more research is needed to fully understand the effects of the Mediterranean diet on gut bacteria and brain function.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is one that loosely represents the traditional diet of those living around the Mediterranean, in Greece, Turkey and Italy, for example.

The Tulane University says key components of the Mediterranean diet include:

• Olive oil as the primary fat source

• Abundant vegetables, fruits and whole grains

• Fish and lean proteins

• Limited red meat and saturated fats

• High fiber intake from various plant sources

The Mediterranean diet has been extensively studied by researchers and is associated with better life expectancy, lower rates of chronic disease and cancer, and better heart health.

The Alzheimer’s Society says the Mediterranean diet is thought to be beneficial to brain function because it is high in antioxidants, which may help to protect against brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease.

It warns that studies assessing a direct link between the Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer’s disease have been inconsistent, but one 2023 study found a Mediterranean diet could reduce dementia risk by up to 23%.